Machines such as motor graders employ a long blade that is used to level work surfaces during the grading phase of a construction project or the like. These blades often encounter abrasive material such as rocks, dirt, etc. that can degrade the working edge, making such blades ineffective for their intended purpose. Some blades have a serrated cutting edge meaning that the edge is not continuously flat but undulates up and down, forming teeth. A drawback to such blades is that the teeth may be more easily worn than is desired. In harsh environments, such blades may be rendered dull, with the teeth having been essentially removed, after 100-200 hours of operation. Necessitating their replacement. Serrated cutting edges are sometimes provided to improve penetration, etc.
One proposed solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,474 to Manway. This patent discloses a plow blade that is straight across, lacking a serrated cutting edge that defines teeth, and that uses a plurality of blade inserts made from carbide or the like, intended to prolong the useful life of the plow blade.
However, the design disclosed in Manway suffers from several deficiencies. First, the inserts do not last long enough to prolong the useful life of the blade as much as desirable. Second, this patent does not teach one skilled in the art how to effectively prolong a blade having a serrated cutting edge. Third, Manway fails to teach a sufficiently robust method for attaching the insert to the blade. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved blade reinforcement technique than has been yet been devised.